Connector mating assurance system and method

Abstract

A connector mating assurance system includes a user-worn sensor unit configured to be worn on or near a user's hand. The sensor unit has an audible sensor configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors. The audible sensor is configured to detect an audible sound when the electrical connectors are mated. The system includes a user-worn controller connected to the audible sensor. The controller receives audio signals from the audible sensor, processes the audio signals to determine a connector mating status, and provides feedback to the user relating to the connector mating status.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector mating assurance system comprising:
 a user-worn sensor unit configured to be worn on or near a user's hand, the sensor unit having an audible sensor configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors, the audible sensor configured to detect an audible sound when the electrical connectors are mated; and 
 a user-worn controller connected to the audible sensor, the controller receiving audio signals from the audible sensor, the controller processing the audio signals to determine a connector mating status, the controller providing feedback to the user relating to the connector mating status. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to be worn on or near a user's wrist. 
     
     
       3. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the user-worn controller includes a processor analyzing the audio signals to determine the connector mating status. 
     
     
       4. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the connector mating status based on the audible sound that occurs when a latch of one electrical connector latches to the corresponding other electrical connector. 
     
     
       5. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller provides visual feedback to the user. 
     
     
       6. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller provides haptic feedback to the user. 
     
     
       7. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller compares the audio signal to one or more templates to determine the connector mating status. 
     
     
       8. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the user-worn controller includes a template module storing audio signature templates, the controller comparing the audio signals to the audio signature templates to determine the connector mating status. 
     
     
       9. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is calibrated by determining an audio signature for the electrical connector during mating, the controller processing the audio signals by comparing the audio signals to the audio signature to determine the connector mating status. 
     
     
       10. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 1 , wherein the user-worn controller includes a communicator configured to transmit RF signals to a host controller, the RF signals relating to the audio signals. 
     
     
       11. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 10 , wherein the user-worn controller transmits the connector mating status to the host controller. 
     
     
       12. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 10 , wherein the user-worn controller wirelessly transmits the audio signals to the host controller. 
     
     
       13. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 10 , wherein the user-worn controller identifies a positive connector mating status as the audio signals associated with the electrical connector being properly mated, the user-worn controller transmitting the audio signals corresponding to a predetermined period of time before the positive connector mating status, the audio signals corresponding to the period of time at the positive connector mating status, and the audio signals corresponding to a predetermined period of time after the positive connector mating status. 
     
     
       14. The connector mating assurance system of  claim 10 , wherein the host controller includes a validation module analyzing the RF signals to validate the connector mating status, the host controller transmitting a validation signal back to the user-worn controller. 
     
     
       15. A connector mating assurance system comprising:
 a user-worn sensor unit configured to be worn on or near a user's hand, the sensor unit having an audible sensor configured to be located in a vicinity of a mating zone for electrical connectors, the audible sensor configured to detect an audible sound when the electrical connectors are mated; 
 a user-worn controller connected to the audible sensor, the user-worn controller receiving audio signals from the audible sensor, the user-worn controller processing the audio signals to determine a connector mating status, the user-worn controller providing feedback to the user relating to the connector mating status, the user-worn controller having a communicator configured to transmit RF signals relating to the audio signals; and 
 a host controller remote from the user-worn controller, the host controller receiving the RF signals from the communicator of the user-worn controller. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of detecting electrical connector mating, the method comprising:
 positioning a user-worn audible sensor on or near a user's hand; 
 positioning the audible sensor in a vicinity of a mating zone for an electrical connector; 
 detecting an audible sound with the audible sensor when the electrical connectors are mated; 
 positioning a user-worn controller on the user; 
 sending audio signals based on the audible sound from the audible sensor to the user-worn controller; 
 processing the audio signals at the user-worn controller to determine a connector mating status; and 
 providing feedback to the user based on the connector mating status. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting RF signals relating to the audio signals to a host controller remote from the user-worn controller. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said transmitting RF signals comprises transmitting less than all of the audio signals to the host controller. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said transmitting RF signals comprises transmitting only the audio signals in the immediate time vicinity of identification of a positive connector mating status to the host controller. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein said providing feedback comprises at least one of providing visual feedback and providing haptic feedback.